Stimulus passage on the way - one sided

Today, the House of Representatives passed the conference committee version of the stimulus bill roughly along party lines. No Republicans supported it and several Democrats opposed it. Then, it went to the Senate for a vote.

At this writing (7:30 p.m.), the 60 votes required for passage have not been registered; after about four hours it stands at 59 for. Word is a Democrat is on the way back from a wake for his mother to vote "yea," which should happen at around 10:30 p.m. So, by counts showing and forecast, the stimulus bill will pass the Senate, with very little Republican support, probably only the three who agreed to it the first time around.

So, that is the summary of what is happening now. It will pass. The President will sign it.

What has happened is the Republicans have maintained a split from the Democrats even in a situation that was guaranteed to pass both houses. I am a bit uncomfortable with their doing that. Why is it that all Republicans think one way and all Democrats think the other way, or visa-versa? It has to be party spirit, which is not good for the country. "My way or no way" as a party seems un-good to me.

If the stimulus plan works, or nearly so, the Democrats come out the big winner and the Republicans the big loser. The other way, it is reversed. Seems like Russian roulet, doesn't it? As I see it, I would almost hate to be a Repubican or a Democrat, and probably worse a Republican, because I think the plan is going to work some - at least.

Here is something that takes the cake: In the ending process, one of my senators put out word to his constituents how that he voted against the package and why. But, said he (get this!), if it passes, he is going to "work with the administration" to make sure of accountability and transparency. Hummm. "Work with the administration?" Frankly, I am not sure any Republican, including this good senator, can have any influence on the administration on this one considering the opposition they gave to it. Frankly, if it is successful, the Republican party (of which I am one) can just hang it up for eight years, for sure.

This partisan spirit is bound to take us through a rough four years, or so I think. Maybe, just maybe, those Congressionals will see the light and start working more together. Wouldn't that be something! Everything proposed by a Democrat cannot be all wrong. The same with a Republican.

As a caveat to this I wish the Democrats would stop bashing Bush. It is their game now, and everything that we have wrong today did not happen on Bush's watch. The Democrats had the Congress for the last four years. Have they forgotten that?

That is how I see it, but I might change.